Herbs perennial, 6--45 cm tall. Stems branched at base; branches widely spaced, ascending, long, pubescent. Leaves alternate, few; petiole 1.5--4 cm, slender, pubescent; leaf blade oblong-ovate to ovate, 2.5--6 X 1.5--4 cm, abaxially sparsely pubescent and densely white scurfy, adaxially sparsely pubescent or subglabrous, sometimes white scurfy, pinnatipartite; segments 4--6 pairs, ovate to lanceolate, dentate. Inflorescences laxly racemose; bracts leaflike, longer than flowers. Pedicel 1--3 mm, subglabrous. Calyx oblique-ovate, 6--7 mm, membranous, 2/3 cleft anteriorly, densely white pubescent; lobes 5, 0.3--1.5 mm. Corolla purplish red; tube ca. 6 mm, glabrous, expanded apically; galea bent at a right angle apically; beak ca. 5 mm; lower lip longer than galea, middle lobe oblong, apex emarginate. 2 filaments sparsely pubescent, 2 glabrous. Capsule lanceolate, 1--1.5 cm. Seeds ovoid, ca. 2 mm. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Jul--Aug. 2n = 16.

Damp stony ground, moist stream beds; 3500--4000 m. S Xizang [Bhutan, India (Darjeeling), C and E Nepal, Sikkim].